Thermometer holder releasably attachable to bedposts



July 3, 1951 G M. MCcoRMlcK 2,558,768

mERn/IOMETER HOLDER RELEASABLY ATTACHABLE To BEDPosTs Filed Feb. 25, 1949 JNVENTOR. 55m@ .M /572 50m2/2A' TTORNEY Patented July 3, 19,51

THERMOMETER HOLDER RELEA-SABLY ATTACHABLE TO BEDPOSTS Gordon M. McCormick, Spokane, Wash.

Application February 25, 1949, Serial No. 78,407

. 3 Claims. l This invention relates t a thermometer holder for use on the bed post of a hospital bed.

In hospitals and like places where a thermometer is assigned to each lpatient it is common practice to keep the thermometer in a glass A.

tube which is secured to the bed post by adhesive tape. When this is done it is necessary to pull the adhesive tape off of the bed post and off of the glass tubev each timethe glass tube is to be cleaned and sterilized. This method uses up a substantial amount of adhesive tape and often leaves parts of the tape adheringy toA they b'e'd post, and requires time and lab-or in applying and removing the tape and does not leave the glass tube adjustable on thel bed post after it has been secured thereto.

In accordance with this invention I provide an all metal holder device which can quickly and easily be adjustably secured to a bed post and which is adapted to receive and hold a glass tube in which a thermometer is kept in such a manner that the glass tube can quickly and easily be removed for cleaning and sterilization and can be as quickly and easily replaced in the holder without removing the holder from the bed post.

Another object is to provide a tube holder formed of a helix of wire of open coil type whereby the said holder will not tend to collect dirt and can be quickly and easily sterilized.

Another object is to provide a holder for a glass tube which affords vsome protection to the tube and lessens the danger of breakage of the tube.

Another object is to provide a holder for a glass tube which can be quickly and easily secured to a bed post and which can easily be moved or adjusted on the bed post.

Other objects of the invention will be apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation of a thermometer holder constructed in accordance with this invention, showing a metal holding device attached to a fragment of a bed post with a glass tube in the holding device and a fragment of a thermometer in the glass tube.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view, with parts in plan taken substantially on broken line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a detached view in rear elevation of a part of a thermometer holding device shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the glass tube being omitted.

Like reference numerals designate like parts throughout the several views.

2 i This thermometer holder comprises an ope coil wire helix 5 of cylindrical shape having its lowermost coil formed to provide a cross bar 6 which extends across the bottom of the helix and' forms a support on which thel bottom end portion of a glass tube 'l can rest. The glass tube 'l is adapted to receive and hold a thermometer 8, a fragment .of which is shown in Fig. 1.

A bracket for supporting the helixk 5 i'srprovided at one 'side of said helix. This bracket comprises two approximately parallel wires 9- and I0 which extend longitudinally of the helix 5 and are provided with outwardly bent U-shaped loops II and I2 respectively.

Preferably the helix 5 and the bracket comprising wire parts 9i and I0 and loops Il and I2 arev allv formed of one continuous piece of wire, as follows: Starting with an eye member I3` at the top of the helix 5 this wire is shaped like a coil spring with widely separated coils to form the helix 5, thence it extends across the bottom of the helix to form the bottom cross bar 6,

thence it extends upwardly to form the bracket wire 9 with the transversely extending loop II, thence this wire passes through the eye member I3 where it is doubled upon itself to form a bight portion I4, thence this wire extends downwardly to form the bracketl wire I0 with the transversely extending loop I2 and said wire terminates in an eye portion I5 bent around the lowermost coil of the helix. Preferably the bight portion I4 of the wire is offset toward the helix, as shown in Fig. 1, so that the eye member I3 can be clear of the bed post I6.

'I'he loops II and I2 are arcuately bent, as best shown in Fig. 2, to conform to the curvature of the bed post I5 and the Wires 9 and I0, together with these loops II and I2, provide a bracket which rests rmly against the bed post I 6 and conforms to the contour `of said bed post I6.

A helical tension spring Il has one end portion thereof permanently connected with one of the U shaped loops, such as the loop I I. A wire hook member I8 having a loop I9 by which it may be grasped by the lingers, is permanently connected by an eye member 20 with the other end portion of the helical tension spring I l.

The helix 5 is fastened to a bed post I5 by placing the bracket portion 9, I, Il, I2 against the bed post, drawing the spring Il around the bed post and engaging the hook I8 with the loop member I2. When thus applied to a bed post the helix 5 will be firmly supported in an upright position on the bed post and will provide a convenient receptacle to receive and support the glass tube I in an upright position so that a thermometer 8 can easily be placed in and removed from the glass tube.

The holder will not mar or damage the bed post and will not slide on the bed post but can be moved up or down or rotatively on said bed post without detaching it from the bed post if desired. Also this holder is of all metal construction and the parts thereof are all open and spaced apart so that they will not tend to collect dust and dirt and so that they can be easily and elciently sterilized. The holder is easy to apply and remove from the bed post, is efficient in holding the glass tube l and affords the tube 1 some protection against breakage.

The foregoing description and accompanying drawings clearly disclose a preferred embodiment of my invention but it will be understood that this disclosure is merely illustrative and that changes may be made within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A holder comprising an open-coil Wire helix of cylindrical shape open at its top end and hav-l ing means at its bottom end adapted to support a member disposed within said helix; bracket means comprising two substantially parallel spacedA apart `wires integral Vwith said helix and extending longitudinally thereof along one side of said helix; resilient band means having one end portion thereof permanently connected with "one wire of said bracket means; and readily re- 2. A thermometer holder of the class described comprising an open-coil wire helix of cylindrical form having an open top end and having a portion of its lowermost coil extending across the bottom end portion of the helix to provide a support, whereby a tubular thermometer receptacle can be placed in said helix and rest on said support; a bracket comprising two substantially parallel wires extending along one side of said helix and'each connected with the top end portion and the bottom end portion of said helix; two oppo- 'sitely'directed loop portions extending sidewise end portion of said spring can be connected with the other loop.

3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 2 in which the helix and bracket are made of a single piece of wire.

GORDON M. MCCORMICK.

REFERENES CITED The following references are of record inthe le of this patent:

UNITEDY rSTATES PATENTS Number o Name Date 1,325,807 Siemann Dec. 23, 1919 1,966,648 Ryberg July 17, 1934 2,191,782 Valane Feb. 27, 1940 

